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Kieran squinted. “They planned to use her to Ascend the Lords and Ladies in Wait? But why? They have Malik. They…”

I tensed all over. I knew what he was thinking. That they needed Poppy because Malik was… “He’s still alive.”

“I didn’t say he wasn’t.”

My heart thumped heavily. “He’s probably weakened, and using him to Ascend all those in Wait would likely kill him. That’s why they need Poppy. It’s the only thing that makes sense, especially if her blood is strong.”

“And for them to know that, they must have…”

Drank from her at some point, likely without her knowledge. My hands tightened on the cold railing until I heard the wood groan. I pushed away. “This won’t take too long.”

“You’re wrong, by the way,” Kieran stated when I was halfway down the hall.

I stopped, looking back at him.

“The reason I won’t hurt her has nothing to do with her being half-Atlantian or because she’s one of us.” Kieran faced me. “It has everything to do with the fact that I was right.”

I lifted my brows. “About what?”

“You. Her.” His head tilted to the side, and when he spoke again, his voice was low. “She’s yours, and you care about her. That’s why. And don’t even try to deny it. Not after the lengths you’ve gone to in order to keep her safe.” He took a step forward. “The lengths you are about to go to, to ensure that what happened in that cell doesn’t happen again.”

A faint tickle of sensation hit the nape of my neck. There was no point in denying it. “I do. I care about her.”

Kieran smiled like a kid who’d just run off with a handful of sweets.

“That wasn’t the reaction I expected,” I stated, tone dry.

“Honestly?” He lifted his hands. “I’m relieved.”

My brows inched up. “Really?”

“Yeah. It proves you aren’t the piece of shit I knew you weren’t.”

“How in the fuck does it prove that?”

“Because being with her wasn’t about getting off. It’s because you care about her. That changes things.”

Everything had changed.

Kieran shook his head. “In any other situation, it would be funny for you to fall for her—”

“Fall for her?” My stomach dipped as if I were standing on the edge of the cliffs in the Skotos. “I said I care about her, Kieran. I didn’t say I’d fallen in love with her. Lust? Yes. Respect and admiration for her? Fuck yes.”

Kieran’s brows creased further as he looked at me like I was missing half a brain. “What do you think lust, respect, admiration, and caring for someone adds up to?”

“Not what you think it does. Maybe for some people, but not me. I don’t—” I stopped myself, but what I didn’t say hung in the air between us.

I didn’t deserve to be in love—to experience that. Not after my actions had led to Malik’s capture. Not after Shea. Not with all the blood on my hands. Not after what I’d done to Poppy.

And Kieran knew that. He just didn’t want to say it. However, this otherwise pointless conversation about love and shit sparked an idea. A fucking insane one, but one that would not only give me what I needed and Poppy what she deserved, but so much more.

“Cas,” Kieran started.

I held up my hand, stopping him. My mind raced, filling in the blanks. This would give Poppy all the protection she’d ever need and then some while ensuring the Blood Crown did anything they could to prevent the knowledge of what she was. No one would dare touch her—not Atlantian or Descenter. Not even my father. My lips curved up.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Kieran asked.

“Look, I do care about her, but that’s not the point here. She is one of us, and there’s no way they didn’t know that.” I crossed the space, stopping in front of him. “Think about what that means.”

“For once, I’m not sure I follow.”

“The Blood Crown rules through lies, Kieran. Everything about them and everything they tell their people is a lie. And Poppy?” I jerked my chin at the chamber door. “She is the foundation of those lies.”

Kieran’s eyes widened as it began to click. “They’ve told the people she’s Chosen by the gods and, fuck, maybe she is, but we know she’s half-Atlantian.”

“And based on the lies they’ve told? Wouldn’t that make her half-monster?” I said, smirking. “And wouldn’t they do anything to prevent that knowledge from getting out?”

Kieran nodded as a slow smile began tipping up his lips. “Fuck yeah, they would, because if it’s revealed that she’s part Atlantian?” He huffed out a laugh. “It would begin their end, collapsing all their other lies.” His smile faded. “But how are you going to prove that? Better yet, how are we going to keep her alive? Alastir will still come, and half-Atlantian or not, your father could still make demands.”